Piano Quintet in D minor (Bomtempo)

The Quintet in D minor,[1] B74,[2] for piano, 2 violins, viola and cello, is a chamber work by Portuguese composer João Domingos Bomtempo. A performance takes about 20 min.

History

Although he composed some ten works for piano quintet, the Quintet in E♭ major, Op.16 remained the only published piece of this genre by Bomtempo. The only manuscript of the Quintet in D minor, B74 is preserved in the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (P-Ln C.I.C. 39). It is inscribed thus: Trois Quintetti pour forte piano, deux violons, alto et violoncelle, but contains only this one work. The manuscript is damaged and incomplete, missing the piano part in many places[2] (as it happens in Bomtempo's manuscripts: he presumably improvised some passages instead of playing them from the score),[3] especially in the middle section.

Composition date of the quintet is unknown. It was reconstructed into integrity by Portuguese composer Filipe Pires (1934–2015) and received its first contemporary performance in 1992, during the celebrations of 150 years of Bomtempo's death. The musicians were Gabriela Canavilhas and the Lisbon String Quartet.[3]

Like his other quintets, Bomtempo arranged this one for piano sextet (with double bass), of which version only one sheet survived (the first movement of the double bass part; P-Ln C.I.C. 50).[2]

Structure

The quintet is in three movements, united by musical themes and proceeding without pauses (attacca):

I. Largo — Allegro (D minor)
II. Andante (G major)
III. Allegro (D minor — D major)

After the Largo introduction (D minor) with an important figure in the bass, the gloomy serious principal theme (also D minor) of the sonata Allegro is stated. It is followed by an even more intense section, which leads to the secondary theme (F major). The development section (begins in F major) is the longest part of the quintet and is built of several episodes of different character and in different keys. At the end of it, some chords introduce the next movement.

The central Andante (G major) is a three-part structure. While the piano is almost silent in the opening section, it has a prominent role in the middle (G minor). The closing section is slightely altered variation of the opening, with some piano passages added. It is followed by a portion of music serving transitory to the finale.

The last movement, Allegro, is actually the continuation (reprise and coda) of the first: the introduction is omitted here, and the music begins right with the main theme (D minor), then goes on to the secondary (D major). Both being much shortened (this may sound more like reminiscenses of the opening movement than a proper reprise), composer proceeds to the D major coda, which closes the work.

Recordings
  • (rec. 2002) Gabriela Canavilhas — piano, António Anjos — violin I, Bin Chau — violin II, Massimo Mazzeo — viola, Varoujan Bartikian — cello / João Domingos Bomtempo. Quintetos com piano. MOVIEPLAY, 2003. MOV 3-11055
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References
  1. The key is usually defined as D major, that is not true.
  2. João Domingos Bomtempo, 1775-1842 / Instituto da Biblioteca Nacional e do Livro ; coord. João Pedro d'Alvarenga. - Lisboa : Instituto da Biblioteca Nacional e do Livro, 1993. P. 139.
  3. Vanda de Sá. Booklet notes for MOVIEPLAY MOV 3-11055
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